WRC: Not in the US

This weekend is the annual FIA WRC Rally Sweden, a competition that involves small turbocharged cars going very fast on all sorts of road conditions – gravel, dirt, asphalt, and snow/ice. Unlike NASCAR and Indycar, they turn more than just left. Spectators stand right next to the track. It’s insane and death-defying. Of course, it’s not being aired in the US at all. Or in Canada, for that matter.

This is something that should be remedied. Witness:

Highlights from the 2012 Rally Sweden:

Highlights from Monte Carlo 2013:

The $100,000+ Bentley Continental W12 GT takes to the Welsh WRC rallye track with Top Gear’s James May calling the turns – often poorly.

Well seems like the Finn’s have the market cornered. It takes up to 2 years to get a license there, and you get tested on all sorts of conditions(slippery, snowy, etc) before you get it. And given the remoteness of most areas in finland, there is plenty of practice for those finns.

Interestingly though, one of the founding races in the WRC was in Michigan – the Press-On Regardless Rally. Also Ford’s european arm is a big sponsor of the WRC. But the fans still need to park a ways away, and walk and stand by the trailside and wait for cars to pass. Even the checkpoints (which usually have a stand) are temporary, so you could not build an infrastructure for fan engagement. They’d rarther watch “left turns” all day and drink beer.